White House defends Obama's new strategy

The US Senate Armed Services Committee has questioned Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about President Barack Obama's new Afghanistan strategy. The Obama administration is trying to persuade Congress to approve its revised strategy for the Afghan war.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, from left, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm.  Mike Mullen, testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 2,  2009, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on U.S.  strategy in Afghanistan.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Time now to start the arduous job of selling President Barack Obama's Afghan war strategy to Congress.

Obama administration officials tried on Wednesday to convince Congress that failure in Afghanistan would put the US at risk.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave details on the first batch of the new US forces... adding that the overall surge of troops would last 18 to 24 months.

Robert Gates said, "These forces, the U.S. contribution to the fight will be deployed and concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The first of these forces will begin to arrive in Afghanistan within 2-3 weeks."

Gates said the US is seeking a greater role from NATO forces in Afghanistan. He also believes the transferring of security responsibility to Afghan forces can be achieved by 2011.